HF 010
7:06:19 PM Jamaros: Anyway, previously. 7:06:33 PM Jamaros: You guys fought some tree people who couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. 7:06:46 PM Jamaros: Met some cool bird people and less cool fairy people. 7:06:55 PM Jamaros: Found out William is a tree person. 7:07:26 PM Jamaros: And are currently in the office of Captain Janis Khorster which is apparently a field and forest somehow. 7:07:43 PM Jamaros: Oh, and you met Hank's friend Zeril. 7:08:03 PM Jamaros: Anyway, we pick up right where we left off, you guys talking with Janis and William. 7:08:47 PM Jamaros: Janis: "Ok. Nice private place to talk. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do. Nice meeting you, underlings. Have a nice day." 7:09:17 PM Rune: Right. 7:09:20 PM Jamaros: Janis turns and walks off into the forest section towards the large tree. 7:09:50 PM Rune: Rune pokes William again. "But why are you a tree person? Why do you cover it up? Are you fae? Do you know why they wanted to come here? You're not going to kill Quill, are you?" 7:10:14 PM Hank: And where exactly are we right now? 7:10:17 PM Jamaros: William: "For the record, I am still your boss, technically. Please do not poke me." 7:10:40 PM Rune: I wanted to make sure you're actually there. 7:11:40 PM Anna: Likely the same reason I tell people my chassis is a suit. 7:12:07 PM Quill: Quill looks at Anna. "Your chassis?" 7:12:23 PM Anna: Anna seems to be scrutinizing the others intently, gauging their reactions to her statement. 7:12:44 PM Jamaros: William: "Well, today seems to be a day of revelations, isn't it?" 7:12:46 PM Quill: Quill is curious. 7:12:48 PM Rune: I think she's less squishy than we are. 7:12:57 PM Anna: Exceedingly. 7:13:01 PM Rune: It would be if you'd answer my question. 7:13:12 PM Jamaros: William: "She's less squishy than I am." 7:13:14 PM Rune: Rune does not poke William! Instead she touches him very lightly on the nose. Boop. 7:13:43 PM Jamaros: William: "Your questions are all tied together, I shall answer the easy ones first." 7:14:03 PM Rune: Oh, all right. Good. And thank you again for the strawberries, they were perfect. 7:15:09 PM Quill: They were strawberries, right? Not... Williamberries. 7:15:32 PM Jamaros: He clears his throat. "I cover it up as a gnome is easier to move around as than a...let's call me a dryad for the time being. That's probably the closest definition. I am not fae. By they I assume you mean the Blights, and they did not want to come here. They spread as is their nature. And I am not going to kill any of you." 7:15:53 PM Jamaros: William: "And you are welcome for the strawberries. They are grown in a little garden to the East of here." 7:16:54 PM Jamaros: William: "Your other questions are a bit more complicated and will require a lengthy explanation. I spoke with Creed about it once, but do any of you know anything about The Binding?" 7:16:57 PM Rune: Oh, good. 7:17:44 PM Quill: ((Do we? History check?)) 7:18:43 PM Jamaros: ((I think Anna spoke about it once. You guys know of it more than what it is, though, I think.)) 7:18:56 PM Jamaros: ((Esme talked about it too)) 7:19:26 PM Jamaros: ((I think Rune may be on a bit of a delay. Because of course she is.)) 7:19:34 PM Rune: No. 7:19:37 PM Rune: ((Yes, I am.)) 7:19:49 PM Jamaros: William: "Ok, storytime." 7:20:17 PM Jamaros: William sits down and sighs. "You've seen the circle in your basement." 7:20:29 PM Anna: Yes. 7:21:18 PM Anna: Anna 's eyes shine slightly as she says this, and the light does not go out. 7:21:27 PM Quill: The perfectly innocent and not at all worrisome hellmouth we sleep over? 7:21:56 PM Rune: We really ought to clean the blood out. It's not safe to have leftovers. 7:22:23 PM Jamaros: William: "It is innocent now. But...eighty years ago, it was very much not." 7:23:29 PM Jamaros: William: "There was a group in the city at the time. They called themselves The Cult of Gargauth. They believed Gargauth would take them to a new plane, one they would rule over, as demigods before his might." 7:23:39 PM Anna: Feh. 7:24:16 PM Rune: Daft. 7:24:32 PM Quill: Why can't a crazy cult just for once decide that the way to eternal power is making brownies and distributing them freely? 7:24:40 PM Jamaros: William: "As you can imagine, Gargauth was not being wholly truthful there. But most of the members felt they were the underprivileged here. And many of them were." 7:25:32 PM Jamaros: William: "In reality, Gargauth sought to create an Eighth circle of the hells within the infernal plane. So he could rise above another archdevil, Asmodeus." 7:25:49 PM Jamaros: William: "Petty squabbles tend to be how all these things begin." 7:26:34 PM Jamaros: William: "Over the course of about a year, the cult performed a ritualistic sacrifice to Gargauth to give him the strength he needed to tear through the boundaries of the planes." 7:27:17 PM Jamaros: William: "Once completed, he was able to flow into our world and begin to try and turn it into his own circle of hell, but, it wasn't even as simple as that." 7:28:14 PM Jamaros: William: "The boundaries of all the various surrounding planes, the Feywild, the Elemental lands, the Celestial skies, all of it, began to pour through, as building blocks for his new world." 7:28:57 PM Jamaros: William: "We were on the brink of armaggedon, until someone did something very stupid." 7:29:30 PM Jamaros: William: "Some young new guard ran through the original tear into the Infernal plane, disrupting the spell and, sort of, ending the spell." 7:30:07 PM Jamaros: William: "Once he did that, the holes were closed just long enough for the nearby clerics and collected mages to seal them shut. Until...well...today." 7:30:29 PM Rune: You were the guard? Is that how you got dryaded? 7:31:29 PM Jamaros: William: "Yes. I leapt through and hit another being at the corner of all the planes. Another traveler, heading to our world. She was able to pull my soul out of my original body and implant it in the large tree here, the Tree of Space and Time." 7:31:57 PM Quill: Who was this traveler? 7:32:06 PM Jamaros: William: "Guess." 7:32:26 PM Quill: A tarrasque named Molly. 7:32:54 PM Rune: Oh, the captain. 7:33:07 PM Jamaros: William: "Yes." 7:33:15 PM Quill: The captain is a tarrasque? 7:33:18 PM Rune: I don't really think it's very nice to pull people's souls out and put them in other places. 7:33:48 PM Jamaros: William: "It's nicer than staying in a body that's about to be trapped in the Infernal plane for all eternity." 7:34:45 PM Rune: Possibly. And I suppose being a tree person must be nice. You must have awful trouble around fires. 7:35:13 PM Jamaros: William: "Only if I jump in one. Same as you." 7:35:37 PM Jamaros: William: "As for your question, Hank, that's a bit more complicated." 7:35:59 PM Hank: Where are we is complicated? 7:36:11 PM Rune: Pocket dimension? 7:36:15 PM Jamaros: William: "No." 7:36:37 PM Jamaros: William: "The captain explains this much better. This is...apparently...Havenfall, still." 7:36:46 PM Rune: Alternate plane? 7:36:55 PM Jamaros: William: "Sort of, I think." 7:37:16 PM Jamaros: William: "Technically, we are several millenia in the past right now...but also not." 7:37:41 PM Jamaros: William: "It's something Captain Khorster can do with the tree." 7:38:20 PM Quill: Because she's a tarrasque. 7:38:27 PM Rune: If it involves dendrophilia I'm not sure I want to know. 7:38:39 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "I do not believe Tarrasques can travel through time." 7:38:39 PM Rune: ... on the other hand, I'm not sure I don't want to know either. 7:39:07 PM Quill: Eh, fae magicks can do really weird stuff. 7:39:08 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "This sounds like Quantum Displacement. But that's impossible." 7:39:15 PM Hank: So what happened today then? 7:39:46 PM Jamaros: William: "One of my jobs is to make sure all of the tears from The Binding remain shut." 7:40:30 PM Jamaros: William: "They begin to stretch and rip every few years from the strain. And, this time, I was too slow on one of them." 7:41:02 PM Quill: Verenestra. Are you connected to her? 7:41:15 PM Jamaros: William: "...where did you hear that name?" 7:41:24 PM Rune: He's from out of town. 7:41:48 PM Jamaros: William: "...you mean as you are connected to her sister?" 7:43:35 PM Rune: ... wait, is this part about dendrophilia? Because I've decided I do want to know. 7:43:50 PM Rune: Mostly because if it isn't I'm not sure what you're talking about. This is very confusing. 7:43:57 PM Anna: I'd really rather not. 7:44:16 PM Quill: A couple of sprites we met dropped her name. 7:44:27 PM Hank: Could Oserik be related to the rip that occured? 7:44:52 PM Jamaros: William: "Ah...that makes sense. And, given what the captain and I uncovered, he very much could be." 7:45:08 PM Rune: But do you mean "connected to" or.... "connected to." 7:45:17 PM Quill: He's talking about Warlock stuff. 7:45:29 PM Quill: I'm a Warlock, I get my powers from Auril. 7:45:34 PM Quill: Verenestra's sister. 7:45:48 PM Rune: I thought you were a bard. 7:45:48 PM Jamaros: William: "Whom I am bound to in a pact, yes." 7:45:59 PM Quill: I am a bard. 7:46:06 PM Rune: Well I didn't want to know details. 7:46:21 PM Anna: One can be a bard by trade and a warlock by ability. 7:46:35 PM Anna: Just as I was a soldier once. 7:46:42 PM Rune: Humanoids are weird. 7:46:52 PM Hank: What did you and the captain uncover 7:47:04 PM Anna: Sentients in general are weird. 7:47:51 PM Jamaros: William: "We went digging into Oserik's files. We found no birth certificate. No record of employ. Merely registration by an older man into the Mage's Guild. Registered roughly eighty years prior." 7:47:59 PM Rune: Rune is an eight-foot-tall (counting the horns) chalk-white, rail thin wizard with blue scaly stripes. 7:48:04 PM Rune: Rune sees no irony. 7:48:08 PM Jamaros: William: "The same day of the binding." 7:48:30 PM Quill: Hank, do you have your journal with you? 7:48:58 PM Rune: Don't give it to him if you're not sure he's going to give it back. 7:49:40 PM Hank: (Hank slightly nods) 7:49:50 PM Jamaros: William looks up at Hank. 7:50:49 PM Quill: There's a lot going on here I don't understand yet, like how we all seem to be connected in weird ways. Is that why we're all here, William? 7:51:01 PM Rune: Parents are very important to a lot of people for some reason. 7:52:11 PM Jamaros: William turns to Quill. "Somewhat. I sensed some changes coming to this city. Things I wanted to stay ahead of and couldn't trust my regular men to be prepared for. So, I got permission from the captain to assemble a team." 7:55:17 PM Rune: People you weren't attached to, so you could send them into risky situations. 7:55:52 PM Jamaros: William: "On the contrary. People whom I watched grow up. People I knew I could count on." 7:56:18 PM Rune: You spied on us? 7:56:27 PM Jamaros: William: "Please. I spy on everyone." 7:56:29 PM Anna: Anna immediately tenses. 7:56:43 PM Rune: That's creepy. 7:56:57 PM Rune: Rune takes Anna's hand. 7:57:47 PM Quill: That is extremely offputting. 7:57:55 PM Jamaros: William: "You're one to talk, Rune." 7:58:14 PM Rune: Why? 7:58:18 PM Jamaros: William: "How long were you hiding out in that noblewoman's home in Enora?" 7:59:51 PM Quill: Okay, clearly you have dirt on us. No need to use it offensively. 8:00:03 PM Rune: Um. Three weeks, I think. 8:00:47 PM Jamaros: William: "Trust me, if my goal was to throw you into danger, there were other jobs I'd've given you first." 8:01:59 PM Rune: I didn't say that was your goal. 8:02:05 PM Rune: I just thought it was sensible, that's all. 8:02:19 PM Jamaros: William: "Um...thank you?" 8:03:01 PM Rune: You're welcome. Is there any chance of more strawberries? Or peaches? Are there peaches? 8:03:15 PM Hank: And did you ever interfere while watching individuals growing up or was it only obervation? 8:04:08 PM Jamaros: William: "I may have stepped in, now and again. Also, I didn't watch all of you grow up, really. That would've been impossible for some of you. Really, it was just you, Rune and Creed." 8:04:28 PM Jamaros: William: "Along with several other children, but, let's not get into that." 8:05:00 PM Rune: Why us? We're not special. 8:05:17 PM Jamaros: William: "Special is relative." 8:05:24 PM Rune: Rune is, once again, an eight-foot tall chalk woman with blue scaly stripes. And a wizard. 8:05:25 PM Quill: I was gonna say. I'm older than 80 years old, after all. 8:05:26 PM Hank: Well if it was you then Thank you for that one time. 8:06:01 PM Jamaros: William: "Your welcome. Also, call your mother every now and again. She says she misses you." 8:06:44 PM Jamaros: Janis re-enters, carrying a peach in one hand. "Ok, underlings. How are things going here?" 8:07:09 PM Quill: There are revelations aplenty. Is it true that you're a tarrasque? 8:07:36 PM Rune: She has a peach. 8:07:49 PM Rune: Rune is filled with envy and not, alas, peaches. :( 8:07:52 PM Jamaros: Janis: "Do I look like a Tarrasque?" 8:08:08 PM Jamaros: Janis looks at Rune, then the peach, then back at Rune and throws it to her. 8:08:24 PM Jamaros: Janis: "Here, there's a bunch more down that way." 8:08:49 PM Quill: Quill squints at Janis. "Lilke a shapeshifted tarrasque." 8:09:12 PM Rune: Rune catches it. "Really?" 8:09:21 PM Jamaros: Janis gives Quill a look. "Anything would look like a shape-shifted Tarrasque." 8:09:31 PM Rune: I'm trying to gain weight again. It never works, Grandmother says I have an unusually strong morphic field. 8:10:16 PM Jamaros: Janis: "We have pretty much everything here. Whatever you need." 8:12:07 PM Hank: Like an answer to where is here that doesn't cause a headache? 8:12:21 PM Quill: "Magic Garden." 8:12:36 PM Hank: I will take it 8:12:58 PM Rune: That's what they said before. 8:13:07 PM Rune: Basically. 8:13:15 PM Jamaros: Janis: "We're in a section of time that has been magically displaced from the time stream to keep anything that happens here from altering the progress of your world. The sectioned off time comes before the settlement of one of your races." 8:13:24 PM Rune: So how many of you are there right now? 8:13:51 PM Rune: Buds. Or whatever. 8:13:55 PM Jamaros: William: "There's only ever one me. But if I remain connected, I can regrow my body when another me dies...more or less." 8:14:01 PM Anna: That sounds almost like a bedtime paradox. 8:14:15 PM Anna: Good times. 8:14:28 PM Rune: Oh, I see. 8:14:37 PM Rune: Quill, come and help me pick peaches. 8:14:56 PM Quill: Yeah, all right. 8:15:19 PM Jamaros: We may need to stop for a bit, guys. I need to take the dog out. 8:15:29 PM Jamaros: So, I'm calling a time out to pick peaches. 8:15:32 PM Anna: awright 8:15:53 PM Quill: ((Break is good. We're going to the country, gonna pick a lotta peaches.)) 8:27:25 PM Rune: (("That's a euphemism again, isn't it?")) 8:27:51 PM Anna: [ if you know what I mean... ] 8:28:16 PM Quill: ((Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.)) 8:28:33 PM Anna: [ eyebrow waggle ] 8:28:40 PM Anna: XD 8:30:57 PM Jamaros: ((And I am back)) 8:31:12 PM Jamaros: ((It is a shame Gamestrider is missing this)) 8:31:19 PM Anna: myep. 8:31:30 PM Jamaros: ((Ok, everyone still there?)) 8:31:32 PM Quill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvAnQqVJ3XQ 8:32:04 PM Rune: ((Yep.)) 8:32:12 PM Jamaros: Ok, so you guys go to pick peaches. 8:32:25 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "This is absolutely insane!" 8:32:52 PM Anna: It seems more surreal, but I get your intention. 8:33:45 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "Quantum displacement is real! These peaches should not even exist! Their existence defies everything arcane studies tells us is even plausible!" 8:34:04 PM Quill: I don't like peaches. 8:34:04 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "If one of those peaches started talking, it would not be any stranger than it is now!" 8:34:37 PM Rune: How can you not like peaches? That's insane. 8:34:50 PM Rune: ... I think I'd rather they didn't talk. Then I couldn't eat them. 8:34:56 PM Quill: It's fruit with fur. 8:34:59 PM Hank: Can we stop with the headache talk please 8:35:06 PM Anna: Look at it this way: More peaches for you, Rune. 8:36:12 PM Jamaros: William, is picking with you, by the way. Janis is not. 8:36:16 PM Rune: That's true. But it's awfully unnatural. 8:36:48 PM Rune: Rune picks peaches, quite happily. She can probably reach further than anyone else. And uses taeral to bonk down some higher ones. 8:37:11 PM Quill: So what's the captain's deal? Is she a fae? Is that what's going on? 8:38:20 PM Jamaros: William: "I thought she was a tarrasque. Didn't we have this conversation? 8:38:44 PM Rune: He still didn't tell us whether his faerie queen was a fan or a fan. 8:38:51 PM Quill: I don't know. I thought picking peaches might make you more forthcoming. 8:39:18 PM Jamaros: William: "Everything I have shared is part of my story. To get her story, you'd need to ask her." 8:39:33 PM Jamaros: William: "Although, I'd think you have some idea from your own intuition." 8:40:55 PM Rune: I meant Quill. 8:41:00 PM Quill: I've never met Auril. I mean, I guess I met her once, when she was disguised in one of my audiences. But all other correpsondence hasn't been in-person. 8:41:20 PM Rune: Oh. 8:41:42 PM Rune: Besides, you'd be a perfectly nice couple and it's none of our business anyway. 8:42:08 PM Rune: Dendrophilia is perfectly sensible when the tree is a person. 8:42:18 PM Jamaros: William: "From what I've heard of Auril, I doubt they'd be all that nice together. But, then, I've never actually met her." 8:42:59 PM Rune: No, I meant you and the captain. 8:43:42 PM Jamaros: William blushes. "Oh...thank you. But we're not really like that." 8:44:03 PM Rune: Not really, so only a little bit like that. 8:44:51 PM Jamaros: William blushes harder. "She is my captain. That's...that's as far as it goes." 8:45:19 PM Quill: Quill looks at Anna. "So what do you think of all this, Duchess?" 8:45:24 PM Rune: For now anyway. Besides, it's none of our business. 8:45:31 PM Rune: And why is she a duchess? 8:45:44 PM Jamaros: William: "Who?" 8:46:00 PM Anna: Anna was looking at something, but snaps her gaze over to you. "What?" 8:46:28 PM Quill: Quill wavely vagues all around them and toward William. "All of this." 8:46:45 PM Rune: The doll-men thought she was a duchess. It was adorable. 8:46:52 PM Quill: And she's a duchess because when we met, I figured that she was secret royalty. 8:47:11 PM Anna: It's certainly nonstandard. Not the sort of thing I expected to see during my lifetime. 8:47:17 PM Anna: Quite nice. 8:47:33 PM Jamaros: ((Creed was the duchess, and Quill convinced them of that)) 8:47:44 PM Jamaros: ((Do you guys mean Anna and the bird people?)) 8:48:01 PM Quill: ((Yeah, the bird people treated Anna with deference.)) 8:48:09 PM Rune: ((Rune is mixed up.)) 8:48:21 PM Anna: I'm a secret something, although I believe I can trust you with the knowledge of what. 8:48:30 PM Jamaros: William looks at Anna. "The Aarakocra? The eagle men?" 8:48:45 PM Rune: Oh, those. 8:48:53 PM Rune: Traditionally my family eats royalty. 8:49:04 PM Quill: Quill nods. "They seemed to recognize her.. I thought it might have been because of her druid powers. 8:49:17 PM Anna: They seemed to pay me a great deal of respect, although I have no idea why. 8:49:29 PM Rune: Well I think you deserve respect. 8:49:57 PM Quill: Yeah. You can turn into a bear, that's pretty neat. 8:50:09 PM Jamaros: William is very silent. A knowing kind of silent. 8:50:27 PM Jamaros: William: "...Anna...I...um...hm...." 8:50:37 PM Anna: Yes? 8:50:51 PM Rune: And she's a nice person. 8:50:54 PM Anna: to edit things. AAAAAAAAAHHHHH 8:51:10 PM Jamaros: William: "I...may know...some things...I am not sure what you are willing to talk about in front of the others." 8:51:21 PM Jamaros: ((Ok, that's why your text is jumping around)) 8:52:06 PM Jamaros: William: "We may talk in private, if you like. Or here. Or not at all." 8:52:44 PM Rune: We can go if you want. My bag is all full of peaches. 8:53:58 PM Anna: I'd actually be alright with discussing it now. I was planning to let them know about what I am, as they don't seem like the sort of people who deconstruct their friends and put them back together WRONG. 8:54:59 PM Jamaros: William: "That is fair." 8:56:24 PM Rune: Something would have to go awfully wrong before I would consider that. ... awfully, awfully wrong. 8:56:32 PM Rune: Rune pats Taeral consolingly. 8:56:32 PM Jamaros: William: "I should probably begin by saying I don't know exactly what you are, or why they'd be so reverent. But, I have ideas." 8:56:52 PM Jamaros: Taeral blushes a little and makes scoffing noises. 8:57:07 PM Jamaros: William: "Anna, tell me, what is the very earliest thing you remember?" 8:59:15 PM Anna: The very earliest... I remember her face. She was startled, at first. Then overjoyed. She later told me that I had made quite the racket. Apparently my ears were not active at that time. 9:00:27 PM Jamaros: William: "I see. That makes sense. And you had that particular chassis and helmet and all that, correct?" 9:02:05 PM Anna: Technically the same, although its appearance was different. I defaced myself, earlier, to avoid detection. 9:03:08 PM Jamaros: William: "What if I were to tell you that that particular armor existed before you...awakened, let's call it?" 9:05:02 PM Anna: Originally, or recently? 9:05:19 PM Anna: Either way, go on. 9:06:01 PM Jamaros: William: "Originally. Now, there has never truly been another being like you. At least not that I could find. The assumption, initially, was that it was something in the process." 9:06:15 PM Jamaros: William: "I think, it was something in the materials that were used." 9:06:38 PM Anna: How so? 9:07:38 PM Jamaros: William: "The armor, originally, had writing on it. Old descriptions described it, it was faded even by the time you were constructed." 9:08:02 PM Jamaros: William: "And it appeared to be similar to celestial. Just, a very ancient form of it." 9:08:31 PM Jamaros: William: "I think...I think you may have had an owner previously, or your armor did. And something of that owner, may have survived through you." 9:09:19 PM Anna: of course I have to go afk now. >.< sorreh! 9:09:34 PM Jamaros: ((Your timing is incredible)) 9:10:05 PM Quill: She doesn't have a owner, she's a free person. 9:11:31 PM Jamaros: William: "Sorry. Wording is hard here." 9:11:39 PM Rune: Had an owner is fine. 9:11:43 PM Rune: As long as it's had. 9:12:08 PM Jamaros: William: "Given Anna is well over a thousand, I assume any owners are long dead by now." 9:12:53 PM Quill: I thought it was rude to go blurting a lady's age here. 9:14:14 PM Rune: Why would it be rude to talk about a lady's age? 9:14:38 PM Quill: Humans are strange about that, apparently. 9:15:05 PM Jamaros: William: "There are no humans here." 9:15:33 PM Quill: It's a cultural thing. 9:15:34 PM Rune: Except Hank, or whatever he is, I don't know. 9:15:42 PM Rune: And there's nothing they're not weird about. 9:16:43 PM Quill: Oh, hey, while we're totally not on the subject, didn't you promise us payment for the halfing ambassador thing before the other you walked in and died on us? 9:17:28 PM Jamaros: William: "Yes. And you'll receive it. We just need to go visit somebody tomorrow." 9:17:57 PM Rune: Try not to do that again. It was upsetting. 9:18:13 PM Jamaros: William smiles. "It isn't usually my goal." 9:18:30 PM Jamaros: William: "I should warn you. After this breach, things are going to get a lot worse." 9:19:05 PM Jamaros: William: "The tears were open for more than a long enough time to let things through. And they aren't all sprites and aarakocra." 9:19:47 PM Jamaros: William: "Janis is currently using my tree to try and find the one that killed me, already." 9:20:15 PM Quill: What happens when you find him? 9:20:53 PM Jamaros: William: "That is a very good question. It depends on what the captain feels she is capable of." 9:21:56 PM Jamaros: William: "We should head back soon." 9:22:08 PM Jamaros: William: "I have other things to do. And we have many peaches." 9:22:54 PM Rune: ... what does it feel like? 9:23:25 PM Jamaros: William: "What does what feel like?" 9:23:55 PM Rune: Her "using" your tree to find somebody. 9:24:56 PM Jamaros: William: "I don't really feel it. The tree isn't my body, it's my home. It's sort of like watching a guest sit in your dining room, I guess." 9:25:08 PM Rune: As long as it's safe, sane and consensual. 9:25:23 PM Quill: And using your dining room to mystically divine the location of an evil warlock. 9:25:43 PM Jamaros: William: "I think you may be correllating this to something else." 9:26:02 PM Jamaros: William: "And it wasn't a warlock. It was something far worse." 9:26:13 PM Rune: A lot of things are worse than Quill. 9:26:17 PM Rune: Probably most things. 9:26:38 PM Rune: Mimes. 9:26:40 PM Rune: Clowns. 9:26:48 PM Jamaros: William: "Oserik is another problem. I don't know what he is or where he came from, but he is not from this plane." 9:26:55 PM Rune: Stepping into a tray of jello getting out of bed. 9:27:11 PM Jamaros: William: "And if he was party to anything involving today's events...we will need to find him too." 9:27:26 PM Quill: Hold on, William, I think Rune is still insulting me. 9:27:40 PM Anna: baaaaack 9:27:40 PM Jamaros: William: "Oh, sorry, don't mind me." 9:28:24 PM Rune: ... how is insulting to hear that a lot of things are worse than you? 9:28:36 PM Rune: It would be insulting to hear that a lot of things are better than you. 9:29:19 PM Anna: In any case, I know what Lilia told me, but society may have changed. Is it safe to go out without disguising my artificiality? 9:29:42 PM Jamaros: William: "Probably not." 9:29:48 PM Anna: Ah. 9:29:54 PM Jamaros: William: "But I am the wrong person to talk to about that." 9:30:29 PM Rune: If anybody tries to pull you apart or something stupid like that I will definitely magic missile at them. And poke them in the eyes if I run out of missiles. 9:30:44 PM Quill: I'll just incinerate them. 9:30:55 PM Jamaros: William: "The people we meet tomorrow though may want to look at you though, if that's ok." 9:31:56 PM Rune: They better look with their eyes. 9:32:05 PM Anna: As long as they are respectful, it is alright. Also, thank you both. I appreciate it. 9:32:35 PM Jamaros: William: "...I will talk with Belkiss. She can be...not respectful." 9:32:48 PM Jamaros: William: "But they will not deconstruct you." 9:32:48 PM Anna: Ah. 9:32:50 PM Quill: So who are these people we're meeting? 9:33:18 PM Jamaros: William: "Belkiss and Belkar. The twins. They live by the sky docks." 9:33:26 PM Jamaros: William: "They are...interesting." 9:33:51 PM Jamaros: William: "But they make things. And, in this case, they've made your reward." 9:34:11 PM Rune: What does "interesting" mean? 9:34:52 PM Anna: Lilia always used it instead of "difficult to explain." 9:35:05 PM Jamaros: William: "That is accurate." 9:36:14 PM Jamaros: At this point Janis comes back, fuming. "Stupid fucking tree...nothing piece of...mutter-mutt..." 9:36:41 PM Rune: That's his home, you know. 9:36:46 PM Rune: Rune eyes her, severely. 9:37:10 PM Quill: I'm guessing things went swimmingly. 9:38:02 PM Jamaros: Janis: "You don't need to tell me, horn-head. And no! They did not go swimmingly! There's a dark fey monster running around and I can't find him ANYWHERE!" 9:38:32 PM Creed: "Dark fey monster?" 9:38:46 PM Jamaros: Janis: "Oh, you can talk. Good." 9:39:56 PM Rune: Of course she can talk. 9:40:01 PM Rune: Rune eyes her. 9:40:29 PM Anna: Is it the sort of thing we should watch out for and pursue, or just avoid? 9:40:52 PM Creed: Creed crosses her arms and taps one side of it 9:40:54 PM Anna: Oh, what am I kidding. I saw what it did to William. 9:41:09 PM Jamaros: Janis: "Well, you can't pursue him if you can't find him. And I would say find me if you think you see him." 9:42:13 PM Anna: Any identifying features, or should we just look out for a spooky fae-flavored monstrousity? 9:42:26 PM Rune: And what about Creed's curse? 9:42:56 PM Jamaros: Janis: "Are we still on that? groan Come here." 9:43:12 PM Jamaros: She points at Creed. 9:43:50 PM Creed: Creed sighs and steps forward 9:43:52 PM Rune: Well we're done with the treeperson discussion. 9:44:25 PM Anna: And now you all know why I keep saying I'm a leper. 9:45:36 PM Jamaros: Janis reaches a hand out onto Creed's head. The hand glows a warm yellow color, as do all of Janis's tattoos. Janis pulls her hand away. "There. You're mostly better. Can't get rid of the magic, so, have fun with that. Otherwise, you're fine." 9:47:02 PM Creed: "Thank you." 9:47:42 PM Rune: Having magic is good anyway. 9:47:47 PM Jamaros: Janis: "For the record, it's called Greater Restoration. Next time, don't go to a wizard for medical advice. See a shaman or a cleric or somebody with some actual knowledge of how you people work." 9:48:48 PM Quill: Wizards do tend to think they know everything. 9:48:56 PM Jamaros: Janis: "Not sure how that curse went so wrong, though." 9:49:07 PM Rune: We do know everything. 9:49:11 PM Rune: Eventually. 9:49:19 PM Rune: Time just needs to catch up. 9:49:33 PM Jamaros: Janis snickers. 9:49:56 PM Jamaros: Janis: "I'm not sure if the overconfidence is charming or so very sad. Maybe both." 9:50:31 PM Jamaros: Janis: "Any other questions?" 9:50:52 PM Quill: How do we leave your magic garden of weirdness? 9:51:07 PM Jamaros: Janis: "...through the door. Duh." 9:51:24 PM Jamaros: Janis leads you back to where you were, and you do see a door there. 9:52:08 PM Quill: Ah, good. 9:52:15 PM Quill: Quill goes through the door! 9:52:32 PM Jamaros: ((brb)) 9:52:43 PM Anna: Anna follows, extinguishing her eye-lights. 9:53:45 PM Jamaros: Back 9:53:58 PM Rune: ((Also slightly afk, dad called.)) 9:54:09 PM Anna: like how that's an emoticon. 9:54:23 PM Rune: ((And done with call! :) )) 9:54:23 PM Jamaros: Ok, so you guys exit the magic garden and enter the Citadel. 9:54:39 PM Rune: Is it harder to see without the glowing? 9:55:00 PM Jamaros: You didn't have a chance to notice before, but it's actually very lovely. Nice polished stonework. Silver lined floors. 9:56:08 PM Rune: I wonder how much that lining cost. 9:56:39 PM Jamaros: A familiar large golden Dragonborn comes up to you. Argesh: "A lot, I can assure you." 9:56:45 PM Anna: Not noticeably. I've been keeping the lights off for years. It's a bit like holding your breath, except if breathing were an automatic but unnecessary process. 9:56:48 PM Rune: Our tax dollars at work. 9:57:18 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "I am glad we can see each other again, I wanted to thank you for keeping my dear colleague safe the other day." 9:57:59 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "Miss Underbarrow does seem to find ways of endangering herself. It's most peculiar among someone of her station." 9:58:12 PM Rune: She's popular. 9:59:11 PM Jamaros: Argesh laughs. "In certain circles, I suppose. Of course, the real joy was seeing Sarron's well-hidden anger. Which brings me to another reason I wanted to talk to you." 9:59:44 PM Rune: I'm not sure any of us are single. 10:00:01 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "...I'm sorry?" 10:00:11 PM Rune: That was a joke. 10:00:12 PM Rune: Rune shrugs. 10:00:50 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "...oh...I don't get it. Anyway. I wanted to bring up some information I uncovered the other day." 10:01:06 PM Quill: Is it about the pirate guy and his birdmen? 10:01:10 PM Jamaros: Argesh pulls out an envelope, it's clearly been opened already. 10:02:20 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "Not sure. But I found this outside of Ambassador Dynne's door, the other day, you met him last time. It details plans for a meeting in a few days to engage in smuggling in some krrf. Horrible drug, never touch the stuff, personally." 10:03:21 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "I'd go to the regular guard, but I am sure the Ambassador has paid off some people in the force and I cannot trust anyone there, but you, you work for Steelfarmer directly." 10:03:34 PM Rune: And we don't take payoffs. 10:03:38 PM Quill: Which one was Dynne? 10:03:45 PM Rune: The slippery one. 10:03:55 PM Quill: Quill eyes Argesh. 10:04:10 PM Quill: ((14 for insight.)) 10:04:32 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "Sarron Dynne, the human one. Long white hair. Shifty eyes." 10:04:59 PM Anna: Eugh. That sludge does terrible things to your insides. 10:07:07 PM Quill: How do you profit by this? Is it just taking a political rival down a few pegs if we find anything? 10:07:56 PM Hank: (back , sorry fell asleep) 10:08:19 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "Why, the very notion. I am simply seeing that justice be done. Now, if certain unsavory figures like Sarron suffer for their crimes...well...that just comes with the territory, doesn't it?" 10:08:38 PM Jamaros: Argesh gives a big, politician smile. Which, given he's a dragonborn, is extra big. 10:09:47 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "Of course, if furthering justice and keeping this drug off the streets isn't you goal, I can just forget about it. Hope that nobody suffers as a result of such clear criminal activity happening." 10:10:36 PM Anna: Anna mentally counts his teeth. 10:11:02 PM Rune: We'll see what we can find out. 10:11:15 PM Rune: You must brush your teeth a lot. 10:11:26 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "Dental care is important." 10:11:45 PM Jamaros: He hands you the envelope. "Date, time and location all inside." 10:11:46 PM Quill: Quill rolls his eyes. 10:12:26 PM Rune: Rune nods. 10:12:30 PM Rune: Thanks. 10:12:32 PM Rune: I think. 10:12:39 PM Jamaros: Argesh: "No. Thank you." 10:13:22 PM Jamaros: With that, Argesh slinks away down the hall. 10:13:35 PM Quill: I do not like that man. 10:13:43 PM Jamaros: Well, slinks is the wrong word. He glides as well as someone of his size can. 10:14:11 PM Jamaros: You hear another figure behind you clear their throat. 10:14:34 PM Rune: I think we--oh, hello. 10:15:04 PM Jamaros: You see a young servant woman behind you. "Are one of you Rune? I was told she was a tiefling." 10:15:18 PM Creed: Creed points to the other tiefling. 10:15:26 PM Rune: I'm Rune. 10:15:59 PM Rune: Don't worry, we don't actually eat people. 10:16:04 PM Jamaros: The woman gives a small bow. "I was told to ask you to come to room 319. Only you though. He said you'd know why." 10:16:14 PM Jamaros: "Something about Enora." 10:16:36 PM Rune: Bother. 10:16:45 PM Rune: Rune hands the envelope to Quill. 10:16:56 PM Rune: If I don't come back you can have my stuff. 10:17:04 PM Rune: Rune hands Taeral off to Creed. 10:17:17 PM Rune: Rune shrugs, and heads off to room 319! 10:17:21 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "Dammit. I was hoping I was coming too." 10:17:37 PM Quill: Quill takes the letter and reads it. 10:17:56 PM Quill: ARgesh thinks he's getting away with something by having us look into this, and I hate that. 10:18:20 PM Anna: Honestly, if she hadn't handed you off, you may have been able to get away with it, if you kept quiet. 10:19:01 PM Anna: Perhaps he is planning on doing something that he doesn't want us noticing, at that exact time? 10:19:11 PM Quill: Maybe. 10:19:21 PM Quill: He definitely profits in some way. 10:19:24 PM Anna: Or perhaps he's just a naturally slimy person. 10:19:49 PM Creed: "Dragonborn usually are." 10:20:04 PM Quill: And what Rune does in her mysterious private hotel rendezvous is none of our business. 10:21:33 PM Jamaros: As you have this conversation, you hear a small, familiar voice behind you. 10:21:45 PM Jamaros: It's one you instantly recognize (most of you, anyway) 10:21:49 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Guys?" 10:22:00 PM Anna: Hello 10:22:27 PM Hank: Tim you are alive! 10:22:57 PM Jamaros: Tim: "I am! And so are you!" 10:23:03 PM Jamaros: Tim runs up and hugs Hank. 10:23:18 PM Jamaros: Time: "Oh, I know we don't know each other much, but...wow it's been scary." 10:23:37 PM Quill: Who is this? 10:23:40 PM Jamaros: For the record, Tim is dressed like a servant, carrying a broom and is wearing a strange thing around his neck. 10:24:05 PM Hank: Tim the enchanter him of the punny swords 10:24:57 PM Quill: Ohhhhh. 10:25:17 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Oh hi." 10:25:41 PM Jamaros: Tim holds out a hand to Quill. "Sorry. What they said. I enchant other things too. Most of them don't hurt people." 10:26:13 PM Quill: Quill shakes his hand. "Do all of them make puns?" 10:26:49 PM Hank: What is that around your neck? 10:26:51 PM Jamaros: Tim: "No. That was new too." 10:27:27 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Little security from the Witch Hunters. I get off light with a thousand hours community service, and this makes sure I don't leave the citadel until then." 10:28:25 PM Anna: It could have been a great deal worse, I suppose. 10:29:12 PM Hank: Tim do you remember anything odd or interesting about Oserik? 10:29:23 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Yeah. At least I have a neck, still." 10:29:32 PM Jamaros: Tim: "You mean...more odd than usual?" 10:29:55 PM Creed: "Yes." 10:31:19 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Um...not really. I mean...he was going off to this old mansion every now and then. Not sure what that was." 10:31:34 PM Quill: Where was this mansion? 10:31:57 PM Hank: Do you know where the old mansion was? 10:33:39 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Uh...far side of town, I think. Yeah, it was the Sacred Stone Mansion." 10:34:39 PM Anna: Waitwaitwait. 10:34:48 PM Hank: Did he seem to be more friendly or talkative with anyone in the guild? 10:34:53 PM Anna: I know that place. 10:35:39 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Um...not really. He always kind of kept to himself." 10:35:53 PM Quill: Quill looks at Anna. 10:35:57 PM Quill: How do you know it? 10:38:36 PM Anna: It's a ruin. It's been abandoned for a long time. The Landry family used to live there, but now it's apparently haunted. 10:39:08 PM Quill: Of course it's haunted. 10:39:44 PM Anna: Something else of note: The Landrys were arcane casters. 10:40:11 PM Quill: Hmmm. 10:40:29 PM Anna: Apparently they died out a few centuries back. 10:40:30 PM Quill: Think Oserik is related to them? 10:40:48 PM Hank: How long ago was it abandoned was it also roughly 80 years? 10:42:09 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Oh, way longer than that. It was a ruin long before then." 10:44:06 PM Quill: Hmmm. 10:44:19 PM Quill: Maybe we should check out the place. 10:44:28 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Um...it's great seeing you guys, but I really need to get back to work." 10:44:43 PM Jamaros: Tim: "Good luck storming the ruin, though." 10:44:55 PM Anna: Understood. See you around. 10:45:30 PM Hank: Thanks Tim 10:45:43 PM Jamaros: Tim waves and runs off to sweep some more. 10:46:34 PM Quill: So, this drug deal is in three days. Long enough to do some extra poking around for details. 10:46:45 PM Quill: Quill holds up the letter. 10:47:26 PM Hank: Or investigate the ruin for signs of Oserik 10:49:21 PM Rune: Rune returns. 10:49:31 PM Quill: We have time for the drug deal. I wouldn't mind asking Underbarrow a bit more. She might know a bit about drugs and how they relate to our slimy politician. 10:49:37 PM Creed: Creed hands Rune Taeral. 10:49:48 PM Rune: Rune pats him. 10:49:49 PM Quill: How was your illicit rendezvous? 10:49:54 PM Rune: Someone is probably going to try to kill me. 10:50:01 PM Rune: Rune shrugs. 10:50:05 PM Quill: So, really bad, then. 10:50:22 PM Jamaros: Taeral smiles at Rune. 10:50:43 PM Anna: If you need a surprise bear, just yell. 10:50:46 PM Rune: I decided Sarron Dynne wouldn't make a good parent. 10:50:47 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "We need more magic balls, then." 10:51:00 PM Quill: Oh? 10:51:17 PM Rune: Rune nods. 10:51:39 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "I feel like that raises more questions than answers." 10:51:49 PM Rune: He doesn't have the right sort of temperament. At least, I assume parents need the same kind of temperament as grandparents do. 10:52:16 PM Quill: Is he who you had your rendezvous with? 10:52:56 PM Rune: No, his son I think. That's what he said. He's not a very good liar. 10:53:05 PM Rune: But I'm not a very good judge. 10:53:24 PM Rune: Anyway, he had me steal a thing from Enora, but he didn't tell me it was going to be a baby. So I didn't give it to him. 10:53:29 PM Quill: Hmmm. Any insight in terms of this? 10:53:37 PM Quill: Quill waves the drug letter. 10:53:48 PM Rune: No. 10:53:48 PM Quill: Do you have the baby with you? 10:53:54 PM Rune: Yes. 10:54:12 PM Rune: Rune takes out the egg. She'll let the DM describe it properly. 10:54:40 PM Jamaros: Rune removes a large shiny red egg, covered in runes that seem to be carved into the shell. 10:55:47 PM Quill: Quill raises an eyebrow. "Huh, so that's a thing." 10:55:59 PM Quill: What kind of egg is it, do you know? 10:56:01 PM Rune: I think it's an egg. 10:56:18 PM Rune: He said it wasn't, but I think he wasn't telling the truth. And I don't know. Hopefully nothing awful, but it might be. 10:56:31 PM Rune: Maybe it's the tarrasque. The very, very tiny tarrasque. 10:58:06 PM Quill: ((Can I do an Arcana check or something?)) 10:58:27 PM Anna: 18 10:58:28 PM Jamaros: Sure. 10:58:36 PM Rune: Taeral, do you know what it might be? 10:58:51 PM Quill: ((15)) 10:59:15 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "I don't think so." ((Maybe if he didn't roll a 1, lol)) 10:59:43 PM Creed: (( lol )) 11:01:32 PM Quill: .... So, that thing is a magic gem. 11:01:43 PM Anna: ...It's one of a set of six. It's not strictly a baby, but you were probably wise to keep it from him. 11:01:43 PM Quill: One of six. 11:02:04 PM Rune: Oh, it's not a baby? 11:02:08 PM Rune: Rune is disappointed. 11:02:14 PM Anna: It holds a great deal of power, though. 11:02:37 PM Anna: I'm unsure as to its function, but it holds a great deal of power. 11:03:01 PM Quill: I mean, it might be a baby. But it's also a powerful magic gem. Maybe there's a baby elemental in there. 11:03:24 PM Anna: Possibly. 11:03:38 PM Rune: Oh. I'll keep sleeping with it, then. 11:03:38 PM Creed: "Are we delivering this thing or are we collecting them?" 11:04:13 PM Rune: Well I'm not delivering it to Zharn. 11:04:35 PM Rune: He was very rude. 11:04:40 PM Anna: What you do with it is your choice. 11:04:55 PM Creed: "Do you mind if I see the egg for a bit?" 11:05:04 PM Rune: Rune hands it to Creed. 11:05:30 PM Creed: Creed gently holds it 11:05:44 PM Creed: "Strange." 11:06:47 PM Quill: Feel anything strange? 11:07:04 PM Creed: "I see something strange. I used detect magic and the aura of this thing is the same as my own." 11:07:24 PM Creed: "I feel like I'm supposed to do something with it." 11:07:37 PM Rune: Maybe you should try to hatch it. 11:08:19 PM Creed: "I suppose, do you know of a way to channel magic without having to cast a spell?" 11:08:29 PM Quill: Hmmm. That could be bad There are lots of stories about magic things trying to convince people to do things. 11:09:14 PM Creed: "Well it's not convincing me to do anything." 11:09:17 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "Meditation, possibly." 11:09:39 PM Creed: "I'm just.. trying to convince myself that the auras seem to be important." 11:09:48 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "Why?" 11:10:10 PM Creed: "I don't know, call it intuition." 11:10:42 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "In my experience, intuition is not always the best for making decisions." 11:10:51 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "I'd suggest this requires more study." 11:11:22 PM Rune: I'm not sure I'd make a good grandmother anyway. 11:11:37 PM Quill: You should probably fine somewhere safe to hide it, Rune. Maybe bury it somewhere back home. 11:11:53 PM Creed: "You don't just bury eggs." 11:12:18 PM Rune: It could hatch alone and be frightened, or get eaten. 11:12:22 PM Jamaros: Taeral: "If Anna and Quill are right, it's not an egg. And I can't imagine something laid an egg with runes on it." 11:12:48 PM Rune: People don't normally have runes on them when they come out? 11:12:59 PM Creed: (( nice play on words )) 11:13:13 PM Jamaros: I think we're gonna wrap things up here, people. 11:13:15 PM Jamaros: It got late.